The Princess And The Dragon - LF2021 --non.writer--

For B,

In long forgotten days of old
There was a city which stood alone
A city which was bathed in gold
In days of wood and stone

A city known for peace and beauty
None would conquer or try to fight
Where kindness, love and happiness
Were the rule of peoples lives

Its strength came from that of Dragons
Mighty, old and wise
From the gentle beasts who loved them
Came the bounty of their lives

As the dragons hearts were pure
They were beloved to the throne
And to no others did they grace their love
No other lands, did they call home

Their came a Princess named Elmira
Who radiated light
Innocent and sweet
Barely known pain in her whole life

Born of those charged to protect
The Dragons and their blood
So its power could only ever be known
By a heart that is pure with love

Once whilst riding, from her Dragon she fell
Over the forests to the West
Which grew too thick for her Dragon to land
To rescue or protect

Three days and nights she suffered alone
In the woods where she was tossed
Laying starving and wounded inside the darkness
Till she feared that she were lost

When upon angelic beauty of the Princess fallen
Came a woodsman and his sons
Who saw the Princess as a wounded prize
That had easily been won

For as long as Dragons had roamed the land
Legend had spoken of their heart
And of the powers, a taste of their blood
Were fabled to impart

Seizing opportunity that they may know
They played upon her state
“We’ll see you safe, but in return
You must give each of us a taste!”

For the Princess had been broken
Her innocence was lost
So she made the deal with wicked men
Unaware of its true cost

Once delivered from the forest
She took a blade and cut her hand
And gave the blood, that she had promised
Honouring deal with wicked man

And as each one drew her blood, to taste
She stated something clear:
“Things as pure as this should not be tasted
By a heart that is full of fear”

Each in turn, the men drank of her blood
And in them it took its seed
And from each of them rose the nastiest of Dragons
The world had ever seen

Once they had left and flown away
She started the long walk home
Across many strange lands, alone she traveled
Till she came to places known

But when the Princess came upon her lands
She found their skies corrupt
Where once had noble Dragons soared
She now saw nothing up above

What not long ago had been her home
Now lay ruined, on the ground
What once was mighty, no more than dust
And no-one to be found

No farmers were there in the fields
Their crops had been destroyed
No shops still standing which could be kept
And none they once employed

And as she gazed into the sky
She saw what had wrought them so much pain
Three black dragons, perched upon the mount
Casting down their flame

On a road to nowhere, she wept in regret
And there she sat for many days
Her tears unnoticed by all of those
Who passed her by that way

They had no eyes to see her tears
Till no more had she to weep
Then weakly had she pleaded
Till she lost her will to speak

Until there came a man of the North
Simple and humbly dressed
Though he seemed to her a little strange
He wasn't like the rest

He knelt before her and tore his sleeve
Wet it, then wiped her face
Then placed a flask up to her lips
And made her have a taste

Looking at him through broken eyes, she asked
“Why have you given this to me?”
He said, “You say that like there need be reason
Such care should come for free”

“M'Lady, I am one who is sad to see
How we treat our fellow man
And that none before me have cared to stop
to lend to you their hand”

“This world it wasn’t made for just you and me
But for the many, of our many hands
So when someone is in trouble, we need to help
And give them what we can”

“Because though sometimes it may seem harder
To love than it is to hate
Our goodness is judged by that which we give
And not that which we take”

“Now I've known love for some time now M'Lady
And if there is one thing I have learned
It's that even the bitterest of tears, with time will dry
Though the pain inside still hurts you”

“But even if you've pleaded so long and hard,
That you've lost the will to try
If a true heart listens carefully enough
Then they're certain to hear you cry”

She regarded him through faded eyes
And found hope in a true heart
Though his face was tired, and his skin was scarred
No gentler man could pass

Then to the man, the Princess asked
“Why have you come to me today?”
The man answered her by pointing West
“To see the fabled Dragons slay”

She regarded a dagger on his belt
Crafted from cheapest tin
But saw no weapons for slaying Dragons
Being brought to fight with him

Sensing her thoughts he said; “M'Lady
Though my dagger may not seem much
Its bested all manner of the finest steel
So in it too, can you place your trust”

“And who is it you are fighting for?” she asked
“I see no crest or creed”
“Fight for heart, do I, M'Lady" he said
"For mine and any knowing need”

“As I am one who has known dark times
When none stood to fight for me
And felt those pains which die inside us
When none have eyes to see”

“So for seven years did I train in battle
To defend of me and mine
And fight for any who should need the things
I learned within that time”

The Princess looked intently upon his face
Lest recognition she failed to find
“I've lived in these land my entire life
And I don't recall you in that time”

To this he answered “I am a traveler
My home is nowhere near
I've come across the Northern sea
Great distance to be here”

“For of Seven years as blade was taught
Did I also learn ways of love
Though we may be of different lands and trials
We all share the sun above”

“And though I may fall here, not a man of your land
My blood shall bleed no less red
So no injustice should ever be turned from our eyes
Lest inside this, we find it fed”

Though she had no more tears to cry of pain
Her eyes swelled with those of joy
Welling from the spring of waters deep inside
That no manner of hate can destroy

For like the noble man before her had said
No light can ever be covered by dark
For even in the darkest of times can we see
With but a tiny flame to light our path

So again did she take a blade to her hand
To again see it bleed for man
“Then drink of this my fearless Knight
And none shall have you beat again”

Trusting her words, he did drink of her blood
And his blade was turned to grand
And from him sprang the greatest of Kings
That had ever graced the lands

His armour shone with light and brilliance
That neither claw, nor flame, could dent
And his scars became a strength for which
The mountains themselves would bend

For as the men of the woods had drank
And by blackest beasts, were they consumed
The man of heart had so become
One to whom, no such beasts shall be immune

THE END

a reply to: Compendium


I love this

Beautiful S&F

Thank you 🙏😃💞

a reply to: Compendium

If I were back in time, knew how to play an instrument from that time period I just might have sung this out to you.




"I enjoyed reading this, oh yes I did
It moved me in ways hard to be described
Emotions and feelings that once were hid
That soon passes as I take what was prescribed"

Or something like that maybe...... But I can tell that a lot of thought and effort went into composing your submission.


Cheers!
Johnny

a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

Feel free to flag and star instead of playing and singing, if you so wish 😉👍

originally posted by: Compendium
a reply to: JohnnyAnonymous

Feel free to flag and star instead of playing and singing, if you so wish 😉👍

Oh, I am sure he did but it was a drive by after the comment. He is not a cheap Charley when it comes to stars and flags.

I wrote a second entry this morning, if anyone is interested

A binary and mathematical mirror of/for my first story (entry)

The Fall Of Solomons Temple (3, 6, 9)

a reply to: Compendium

I had to read this through three full times to get the full cadence and gist of it, and I am not through reading yet!

This is beautiful. You know what it reminds me of? Homer's Illiad. With both, it is slow to get into the flow of it, but it quickly picks up and tells a story and the reader becomes engrossed............... and........ and the end, I wish it wouldn't end. I wish it would continue to tell the tale.

Amazing! Very well done!

a reply to: argentus

Thank you

Very few people who have read this seem to understand how much emotion (and tears) went into writing it

And rewriting it. And rewriting it. And rewriting it

I wrote it for the love of my life. I gave her a printed copy of an early version, but she never read it. Now I don't see her or talk to her any more. But I'll wait for her for the rest of my life I have to (10 years now. 8 without seeing or talking to her). Each revision sort of feels like an affirmation, hoping someday she'll read it. And when she does, it will be perfect. Or as close as I can get to it

This is probably the 20th revision over 10 years, and it is still not finished. I don't think it will ever be

This version is slightly different to even the last version that I posted on here prior to the contest

I did consider when originally writing it, finishing the story

But decided that the possibilities were a far more beautiful way to end it, than anything I could hope to put on paper

Like a "happily ever after", but open to all that could be imagined. Not just "happy"

It gives room to think about all good things which may come following the bad

Which is supposed to be hopeful

If you wanted it to keep going, it means it worked on at least one person reading it besides me

I may continue it, someday. If my love ever returns

Thank you for reading, and for your compliments 😊👍

a reply to: Compendium

The underlying sadness and yet hope really does come through. You should be quite proud. It's really a great works.

I do hope your love finds her way back to you.

Very well written and engaging, I appreciate you sharing this.

May you continue to move mountains with your words.

💕 Thank you 🙏😊

a reply to: Compendium

You story carries the seed of endless struggles for humanity to find the strength to battle evil and win.

a reply to: Compendium

Wow, really REALLY good!
The word "good" seems inadequate...superior?

Regardless, well done!

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Thank you 🙏😃💓

a reply to: Compendium

a reply to: Compendium

“As I am one who has known dark times
When none stood to fight for me
And felt those pains which die inside us
When none have eyes to see”

That bit gave me chills , this is really impressive mate .

a reply to: asabuvsobelow

Thank you 🙏😃

Feel free to flag and star 😄 🚩🌟

Less than a week to go

Thanks to everyone who read at voted for my story

I appreciate you all 💝